Drawbridge.



M. WADDELL DRAWBRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED 4m. 6. 1907.

Patented Jan.5, 1909.

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I DRAWBRIDGE.

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MONTGOMERY WADDELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRAWBRID GE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application led April 6, 1907. Serial No. 366,828.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I', MONTGOMERY WAD- DELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful lm rovement in Drawbridges, of which the fol owing is a specification.

My present invention may be applied to drawbridges of all kinds, and has for its principal object the provision of novel anti-fric- 'pion supporting means for the moving memers.

One advantage of my improvement is found in the fact that although opposing a minimum of frictional resistance to motion during operation, a powerful braking action is instantly afforded when it is desired to arrest movement of the bridge.

Another advantage of my invention is that it affords means for operating a drawbridge with a minimum interference with ship traffic, yielding a maximum of available clearance between piers or abutments.

Certain illustrative embodiments of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is aside elevation of somewhat more than one half of a tilting bridge embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of one water shoe therefor, Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section of a traveling cradle, Fig. 4 is a side view of such a cradle, Fig. 5 is a plan of a modified form of water sup ply system, and Fig. 6 is a section on a-b of Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1, the bridge is formed of two sections 1 and 2, tilting down to meet at A and thus forming a continuous span across the road of waterway at the opposite sides of which the two sections aforesaid are movably supported. This movable support preferably takes the form best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. Each bridge section is composed of two similar side trusses, one of which is shown at 1 in Fig. 1. The shore end of each truss is rounded or curved as shown at 3, and this curved portion, which is preferably struck on a circular arc, is supported and embraced by an appropriate guiding support 4. A separate support 4 is provided for each side truss and these being united by cross beams 5, 6, or otherwise, form a movable cradle whereby the entire bridge section is carried. In operating this form of bridge to permit passage of vessels, each section is tilted upward by mechanism of any desired construction, preferably that shown in the drawings. During this operation the curved shore end of each bridge section slips through the cradle whereby it is carried in a manner already well known in certain prior forms of bridge. It is one feature of my present invention, however, to combine with this movement, means for drawing each cradle backward when the bridge rises, and forward when the bridge is lowered, so that the raised position will be about what is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This feature of my invention is applicable to the older forms of tilting bridge above referred to and is quite independent of the specificform of non-frictional support provided at each cradle for the moving members.

Various appropriate means may be used for causing movement of each cradle as a whole, but I prefer the general plan shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, wherein each guiding support 4 is formed with grooves 7 at the bottom embracing the straight flanges 8 of the support. Within an appropriate middle groove in each support is located a horizontal rack 9, the top of whose teeth are flush with the top level of said support. (See Fig. 4.) Upon cross beams 10 joining the main beams 5 and 6, l support an engine, preferably an electric motor, shown at 11; and from this motor l drive a countershaft 12. This counter-shaft, through pinions 15, 16 drives a shaft 17 extending across the cradle and provided at opposite ends with pinions 18, which mesh with the two racks 9. Thus the entire cradle is driven forward or backward by operation of the motor 11 which travels with said cradle. The advantage of this construction is found principally in the possibility of drawing each bridge section back from the edge of the abutment, thus preventing any part of the structure overhanging the stream when the bridge is raised. The eXtra room thus aorded is of the greatest importance, especially in canals where it permits wider boats to be used. Besides this, l am enabled to use interlocking tenons, 19 (Fig. l) of the utmost strength and rigidity to unite the bridge sections where they meet, and to free the two sections by moving the cradles apart.

The construction thus far described may be used in connection with balls, rollers or any desired form of anti-friction device, but l prefer the novel means shown for this purose.

At the bottom of each guiding support 4,

I provide one, two or more chambers, 20, united by transverse passages 21 and longitudinal channels 22. (See'Figs. 4 and 6.) Into these, through one or more pipes 23, I lead a supply of water under very high pressure. rlhe bodies of water thus provided within the chambers 20, which are open only on their under sides, will lift the cradle and bridge ofi' of the flange foundation support just enough to prevent rub bingl and, as the water, escapes from the edges of each chamber opening, a supporting` water-face will be afforded offering nov appreciable frictional resistance to movement. A similar expedient is resorted to in moving the side trusses within the supporting, guides themselves. For this purpose curved water shoes 24 rest in curved sockets 25 whereby slight inequalities in the form and movementof the trusses are compensated for. These shoes are provided with water chambers 26 open at their tops only and to which water under high pressure is conveyed by pipes 2.7. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the face of the curved portion of each truss isV broadened at 28 and rests upon the margins surroundingy the openings of the chambers 26 in the shoes 24. When water is admitted to the chambers 26, the bridge.

is very slightly lifted in the cradle and all friction is practically destroyed, as above described for the cradles themselves. I

prefer to provide a number of small pockets 29 all. around the openings of the chambers 26, asshovn in Fig. 2. 'l hese tend to retain the water and lessen waste.

Actual lifting movement of the bridge is preferably carried out as follows, although any desired apparatus for this purpose is within the scope of my invention. The broad bearing surface 28 of each truss is grooved along the middle to accommodate a rack 30 with which a pinion 31v engages on each side. of the bridge. are` placed on opposite ends of a shaft 32, parallel with the counter-shaft 12a from which it is driven by the gears 33 and 34, the countershaft itself being driven by. a second motor 11 a..

The shafts 12 and 12.a are preferably geared together by pinions 1,3, 14. One of these, as the pinion 13, is loose on its shaft and can be connected fast thereto at willby means ofy any known form of clutch, indicated at 35, and operated by a handle 36, or otherwise.

Normally the motor 11 isused to move the cradle alone, while 11L moves the bridge within the cradle, all in the manner aforesaid. If, however, it is` desired to move both atl once, the clutch 35 is thrown into engagement, and` the two motors operate together.' in moving both the bridge and cradle.

Various means may be employed for con- The pinions 31 veying water to the anti-friction chambers below and within the guides 4, but I prefer those shown in Fig. 5. Here valves 37, 38, of any convenient construction control access of water to the stationary cylinders 39 and 40. Movable straight pipes 41, 42, fit said cylinders and slide Within them, the outer extremities of the pipes 41, 42, being connected to junction boxes 43, 44, carried by the cradle. The pipes 45, 46 lead from the box 43 to the water shoes 24 on the two sides of the bridge, While pipes 47, 48 lead from the box 44 to the water chambers 20 on the two sides. Thus the lifting of the cradle and of the bridge can be independently commanded by the valves.

It is one advantage of the construction above described that the motion of either the bridge or cradle can be promptly stopped at any moment by releasing the pressure in the water chambers, when the moving structure in either case is at once let donn upon its metal support, whose friction produces a powerful braking action.

what I claim is:

1. A draw bridge comprising a pier, a cradle movably supported thereon, a bridge section extending outwardly from said pier, and movably supported in said cradle, means for moving the bridge within the cradle, and means for moving the cradle on the pier, substantially as described.

2. A draw bridge comprising a pier, a track on the pier, a cradle on said track, a bridge section extending outwardly from the pier and rnovably supported on said cradle, means for moving the bridge within the cradle and meansfor causing said cradle to move on. said track, substantially as described.

3. A drawbridge comprising two piers, a movable cradle on each, a tilting bridge-section on each cradle, interlocking means whereby the meeting ends of said sections are secured when the bridge is in use. and means for moving said'cradles so as to operate sa`d interlocking means through relative movement of the bridge-sections, substantially as described.

4. A drawbridge comprising a cradle composed of two lateral guidng supports. and transverse connecting means therefor; in combination with a bridge-section having two side girders curved at their bases and arranged so that said curved portions are embraced by said guiding supports so as to be capable. of sliding. through them, substantially as described.

5. A drawbridge comprising a stationary track and rack, a cradle sliding on said track, a motor on said cradle and a pinion driven by said motor and engaging said rack, substantially as described.

6. A drawbridge comprising two lateral guiding supports .connected mechanically, a

, against said supporting surface, substanmotor supported between said supports, a pinion near each support driven by said motor and a stationary rack engaging with each of said pinions underneath the same, substantially as described.

7. A drawbridge comprising a stationary track and rack, a cradle sliding on said track, a bridge-section having a curved portion sliding on said cradle, a rack on said bridgesection, two motors on 'said cradle, a shaft and pinion for each motor, engaging with said racks respectively and means for mechanically engaging and disengaging said two shafts at will, substantially as described.

8. A drawbridge comprising a movable cradle, a bridge-section arranged to tilt on said cradle, a motor on the cradle, means connected with the motor for moving the cradle a second motor on the cradle and means connected to said motor for causing tilting of said bridge-section, substantially as described.

9. A drawbridge comprising a track, a rack inset along said track, a cradle sliding on said track, a Water chamber in said cradle having an opening abuttin on said track and a pinion carried by sai cradle and engaging with said rack, substantially as described.

10. A drawbridge comprising a tilting section having a curved supporting surface, a support for said section and a movable water shoe carried by said support and having a water chamber with an opening abutting tially as described.

11. A drawbridge comprising a guiding support having a socket with a curved bot- 4 tom, a water shoe set into said socket and fitting the'bottom thereof and meanslfor supplying Water to said water shoe, substantially as described. A

12. A drawbridge comprising ya guiding support having two sockets with curved bottoms, a water shoe in each socket, said shoes being so shaped and set that their under surfaces fit said sockets and their upper surfaces conform to a common cylinder, and means for supplying Water to said shoes, substantially as described.

13. A drawbridge comprising a movable cradle, a bridge-section movably supported thereon, a water shoe for lifting said bridgesection, a stationary water supply cylinder and a water supply pipe carried by said cradle for supplying said water shoe, one end of said pipe fitting into said cylinder, substantially as described.

14. A drawbridge comprising a movable cradle, an open hydraulic chamber under said cradle for lifting it, a stationary water supply cylinder and a water supply ipe on the cradle leading to said hydraulic c amber and having one end fitting into said cylinder, substantially as described.

15. A draw-bridge comprising a tilting section having a curved sup orting surface and a curved support for sai section having a water chamber on its upper side with an opening abutting against said supporting surface on the bridge section, substantially as described.

MONTGOMERY VVADDELL.

VV`tnesses:

H. W. AMBRUsTER, HARRY R. RUPERT. 

